Vehicle Description
In the early 2000s, Jaguar finally got their act together and started building some downright fantastic sports machinery. Still traditional in the finest British fashion, this 2006 Jaguar XJR also packs a supercharged V8 powerplant and a suspension built to use it, making one of the most entertaining sports sedans of the decade.
The XJR was the product of Jaguar's newly invigorated lineup, with "R" standing for the highest-performance models, most of them supercharged. Basic black is always the best color on a car designed to speak softly and carry a big stick. The look is immediately recognizable, one of the most familiar shapes on the automotive landscape, an elegant blend of lines that manages to convey elegance and performance without being too loud about it. Of course, you got a lot of car for your money, and even though it's 10 years old, the deep, lustrous paint still looks expensive and showing up in this car will definitely get you noticed. The mesh grilles up front are part of the R package, and there's a distinct lack of chrome, which is unusual for a Jaguar. However, it still has the leaping cat hood ornament, graceful bright trim surrounding the windows, and angle-cut taillights that frame the trunk opening, all design cues that date back yet another 20 years to the first XJ.
Nobody does interiors like the British, and Jaguar in particular seems quite adept at mixing sport and luxury. The tan leather hides are beautifully finished and their quality shows in the relative lack of signs of age. Plush carpets are almost too nice to rest your shoes on, and the contrasting brown makes the interior feel inviting, not cold. The wood that you see is real wood, not some plastic facsimile, even on the steering wheel itself. Big round gauges keep an eye on the engine's vitals and perhaps in their own traditional way, Jaguar's controls continued to be a bit vexing to the newcomer. There's a big touch screen in the center of the dash, which was a pretty big deal in 2006, and it controls everything from the climate control to the navigation system. Everything was standard and the features list is exhaustive, so driving this car will always feel like a treat. And despite the big horsepower, the interior is tomb silent, allowing the entertainment system to do its job properly. Both the back seat and the trunk are reasonably roomy and both are immaculately upholstered.
The R part of XJR meant there's a supercharger on top of the 4.2 liter DOHC V8 engine, and with nearly 400 pounds of torque on tap, the aluminum-intensive XJ feels shockingly fast, even today. It's not terribly exciting to look under the hood, which is mostly plastic cladding to hide the working bits, but it's tidy and well-maintained and you can't argue with how well it runs. Jaguar's much-improved quality and Ford-based electronics suggest that this car will be enjoyable for many years to come. It stars easily and idles smoothly, as you'd expect, and thanks to a quick-witted 6-speed automatic transmission, there's massive thrust available at any speed. Jaguar's mystical blend of handling and supple ride is very much in evidence here, and the R models received giant disc brakes at all four corners. R-exclusive 19-inch wheels are brightly chromed and carry 255/40/19 Pirelli performance radials.
Sure to attract admiration and respect everywhere it goes, this Jaguar is still the biggest cat on the pavement, an apex predator that's suddenly very affordable. Call today!
